Emergency services saw an early surge in weather-related call-outs as some parts of the country were hit by blizzard conditions. Government agencies issued a string of warnings urging the public to take care on the roads.

Up to 16 inches of snow are expected in the North, with the blanket of white reaching the South East by tomorrow morning.

A number of schools were also closed across the Bradford and Huddersfield areas while in Derbyshire, dozens of schools, colleges and nurseries were closed as were several roads, mainly in the north of the county. Many schools in Nottinghamshire also closed their doors.

In the West Midlands, nearly 230 schools shut their doors to pupils, with many reporting burst pipes and frozen heating systems.

Staffordshire was the worst hit, with 170 closed, but there was also disruption in Walsall, Dudley and Wolverhampton.

Adverse weather closed several roads in the county, mainly in the north.

More flooding is expected in the South West as heavy rain continues to pour throughout the day and overnight, and the Environment has issued 18 flood warnings in the region.

The country will experience a north-south divide over the next few days, with heavy persistent rain across the South bringing floods, while other parts of the country brace themselves for a blanket of white.

Met Office forecaster Andrew Sibley said: “There is going to be some significant disruption from both the snow and the rain.”

More than 28,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland were without power today after snow, sleet and storm force winds hit the province.

George Best City Airport said its runway was closed, while Belfast International Airport warned that the weather could cause some disruption to flights.

A number of roads had been closed, as had some schools, and the weather threatens tonight’s World Cup clash against Russia.

Heavy snow is expected across northern and central parts of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and North Wales today and into tomorrow, with everywhere north of the M4 corridor set to experience wintry showers.

Lower levels are likely to see around four inches (10cm) while on higher ground that could reach around 16 inches (40cm).

Even areas as far south as Birmingham and Peterborough could see just over 3 inches of snow (8cm) while forecasters have warned a few centimetres could reach London and the Home Counties by tomorrow morning.

March is set to be one of the coldest in decades, and there is no sign of spring on the horizon.

The Met Office, working alongside the Department of Health, has warned that severe weather action is needed to protect the vulnerable and elderly across the North, the East and the Midlands.

The health warning, which is in place until Sunday morning, states that there is a “90% probability of severe cold weather” which “could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services”.

Its amber warning is the second highest of four alert levels, and requires social and healthcare services to target specific actions at high-risk groups.

The Midlands and the East of England have been issued with a yellow warning to be alert and ready for the cold weather.

Gale force winds of up to 50mph threaten to bring blizzards to northern areas, leading to warnings of snow drifts.

For the areas which see snow temperatures will struggle to get above 2C, while London will see highs of 5C today before the mercury drops below zero for most of the country overnight.

By Sunday the rain and snow will have petered out, but the cold will continue as the easterly winds continue to blight the country.

Mr Sibley said: “There is no end in sight to the cold weather.”

Last night Cornwall Council set up a designated control room to handle flood calls, with eight properties already flooded after as much as three inches had fallen by last night.

There are reports of flooding across the west of the county, including around Newlyn and Penzance, as well as in Mevagissey in mid-Cornwall - a community still recovering from the impact of last year's torrential downpours.

The AA issued warnings to motorists that even short journeys could be difficult, and there could be a repeat of the scenes in southern England last week when hundreds of drivers were stranded in their cars overnight.

Darron Burness, the AA's head of special operations, said: "It's going to be a real witch's brew of driving wind, rain and snow, which will inevitably cause disruption on the roads.

"Drivers should be well prepared as even short journeys can quickly turn bad."

He warned of localised flooding, and urged drivers to stay out of flood water. He also said snow that settles could persist in the low temperatures, leading to icy patches.

"Wherever you're going, take plenty of warm layers, check the travel reports before heading out and stick to the main roads where possible," he said.

The Local Government Association said council gritting and ploughing teams would be out in force to try to ensure main roads remained passable where snow and freezing temperatures had been forecast.

Peter Box, chairman of the Local Government Association's economy and transport board, said hundreds of thousands of tonnes of salt had been spread this winter, but hundreds of thousands more tonnes were available in council depots and new deliveries were coming in.

And he said: "Council staff will be out and about over the next few days checking in on the people they know to be vulnerable and delivering hot meals and portable heaters, collecting prescriptions, defrosting pipes, fixing frozen boilers and making sure they have what they need."

But he also urged residents with elderly or vulnerable family or neighbours to check in on them to make sure they were coping with the latest freeze.